Online Personals Watch: News on the Online Dating Industry and Business

Dating at 50+: Older Americans' Experiences With Online Dating

PEW RESEARCH - A Pew Research Center survey has found that 17% of Americans aged 50+ have engaged with dating websites or apps, showing no significant change since 2019. While the use of these platforms is similar across age groups, only 3% of this older demographic are current users compared to 15% of those under 50. Older adults' preferred platforms differ from their younger counterparts, with older users more likely to use Match and less likely to use Tinder. Notably, older men are more likely to opt for paid features on dating sites. However, online dating experiences for older adults can often be negative, with older women reporting more negative experiences than men. Nearly half of all online daters over 50 have encountered suspected scams.

by Olivia Sidoti & Michelle Faverio
See full article at Pew Research

Match Launches New Live in-app Event Called '72 Hours'

TECH CRUNCH - Match.com is introducing a time-sensitive feature called "72 Hours" to foster more meaningful connections among its users. The feature, available weekly, allows users to message potential matches for three days before the conversation vanishes. During the designated time frame, members can select nearby profiles on a map and start conversations in hopes of making weekend plans with the other person before time runs out. Initially available in New York, the feature will gradually roll out nationwide. The idea behind "72 Hours" is to combat conversations that never move beyond the app and eventually die out.

by Lauren Forristal
See full article at Tech Crunch

See the top news on Match.com

Match Group Reports Q1 2023 Results

MATCH GROUP - The Q1 '23 results showed a 1% YOY decrease in total revenue at $787M due to a 3% decline in payers, partially offset by a 2% increase in revenue per payer (RPP). On a foreign exchange neutral (FXN) basis, the total revenue was up 3% YOY at $822M. Tinder's direct revenue was flat YOY at $441M, while Hinge's direct revenue grew 27% YOY. Match Group Asia's direct revenue declined 13% YOY. Evergreen & Emerging (Match.com, Meetic, OurTime & Pairs, BLK, and Chispa) direct revenue was down 8% YOY. Q1 operating income was $198M, down 5% YOY, while Q1 adjusted operating income was $263M, down 4% YOY. Tinder's new weekly subscription packages and pricing optimizations are expected to increase revenue as 2023 progresses. Tinder is also focusing on improving women's user experience by providing relevancy, realness, and respect. They are testing Just for You, curated profiles, and adding interactive profile elements to provide a richer and more engaging user experience. Hinge is seeing exceptional momentum in Europe, with plans to launch more targeted marketing efforts in Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands in Q2.

See full article at Match Group website

See the top news on Match Group

Why Are Most Dating Apps So Similar to Each Other?

MAKE USE OF - Dating apps often seem similar due to several factors. Firstly, many mainstream apps like Tinder, Match, OKCupid, and Hinge are owned by the Match Group, which dictates the overall approach and design of these platforms. Secondly, the freemium model, where basic services are free but premium features are locked behind a paywall, is common across the industry, leading to similar user experiences. Mobile optimization for smaller screens and a need for a mass appeal also contribute to a uniform design language. Additionally, many users are on multiple platforms, which might make the experience feel repetitive. Lastly, the lack of a foolproof algorithm for successful matching and the apps' desire to keep users engaged leads to the use of similar gamified elements across platforms. Despite these similarities, subtle differences might make one app more suited to a user than others.

by Megan Ellis
See full article at Make Use Of

Match Launches a New Campaign

THE DRUM - Match's new brand campaign, "Head Over Heels," features six couples who showcase how they found love through different Match functionalities. Broadcast across TV, radio and digital the campaign includes a one-minute hero film and shorter snippets focusing on a specific couple and service.

by John Glenday
See full article at The Drum

See the top news on Match.com

63% of Men Use Dates to Become 'a Better Version of Themselves'

CNBC - The dating experience is more rewarding for men than women, according to recent data from Match. 63% of men said dating helps them be a better version of themselves, but only 46% of women said the same. 44% of men said dating over the last year helped them grow and improve as a person. Why are men leaving dates more self-actualized than women? Perhaps because they are using their date as free therapy. Men have less intimate friendships: Only 30% of men reported having a private conversation with a friend during which they shared a personal feeling in the last week, according to a survey by the Survey Center on American Life. For women, this number was 48%. It's not surprising that they also report being more lonely than women, according to a 2021 study.

by Aditi Shrikant
See full article at CNBC

The Woman Who Made Online Dating Into a 'Science'

THE ATLANTIC - Helen Fisher is an anthropologist and famed love expert. She is the chief scientific adviser for Match.com. She says personality is a cocktail of hormones; love comes from the buzz of mixing them just right. Dating apps can't possibly kill romance, even if they do show us so many options. "It's the same old brain," she says. "The brain hasn't changed in 300K years." She's famous for her science books, including "Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love", which," may have been the one that brought her to the attention of Match.com. The company was looking for insight - Why does anybody fall in love with one person and not another? She created four personality styles (Builders - high in serotonin, logical, and traditional; Explorers - high in dopamine, spontaneous and daring; Negotiators - high in estrogen, empathetic and imaginative, and Directors - high in testosterone, decisive and competitive.) Those categories became the basis for Chemistry.com. When it launched in 2005, Chemistry.com competed with eHarmony and PerfectMatch.com, based on the Myers-Briggs personality test. Users filled out a questionnaire written by Fisher and were assigned primary and secondary personality styles. According to Fisher's system, builders match well with other builders, explorers with explorers, and negotiators with directors. Taking the job with Match was "one of the smartest things I've ever done with my life," she said. "Fifteen million people have taken that questionnaire." (The questionnaire was used first for Chemistry.com, then for Match's flagship site.) Today, Fisher's role at Match has more to do with data analysis and public relations than designing dating products. 

by Kaitlyn Tiffany
See full article at The Atlantic

Single People Want Deeper Connections and More Substance

WALL STREET JOURNAL - Singles are emerging from the pandemic more serious about finding a partner and less focused on looks, according to the latest Singles in America study, conducted by researchers at the Kinsey Institute and funded by Match. ~75% of the study's participants say they want to find a partner who wants to marry, roughly similar to last year and up from 58% in 2019. Singles became more interested in finding a stable partner and they're spending more time on phone calls and video chats before meeting IRL. Today, one-quarter of singles say they've had a video chat with a date before meeting in person, up from 6% in 2019. Each year, researchers ask single people what they’re looking for in a partner. The No. 1 answer this year is "someone to trust and confide in." Physical attraction dropped out of the top five during the pandemic.

by Elizabeth Bernstein
See full article at Wall Street Journal

See the top news on Match.com

Match.com Ad Banned From TikTok for Being 'Sexist'

MYLONDON - A TikTok ad posted by Match.com has been banned from the platform for perpetuating negative gender stereotypes. The post showed clips of a couple in their home, with one scene showing the man sitting in a chair with his feet up and on the phone while a female voiceover said: "Things that make him realize I'm a keeper." The voiceover then continues, saying: "I will make him his protein shake after the gym", "I always make sure he has a fresh towel and socks after his shower", and "I put the football on for him every evening". The TikTok ad ended with the woman saying: "Find your keeper via Match. Go download the Match app today." Match.com said the ad formed part of a three-video storyline, which also showed gestures carried out by the man for the woman.

by Josie Clarke & Hannah Cottrell
See full article at MyLondon

See the top news on Match.com

The Toll of Dating App Burnout

NEW YORK TIMES - Ten years after the launch of Tinder, some long-term online daters say endless swiping has left them with a bad case of burnout. People in the throes of burnout tend to feel depleted and cynical. For some, the only real option is to quit the dating apps cold turkey; for others, it is about finding smaller ways to set boundaries. "People just get overwhelmed with the whole dating process," said Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and chief science adviser to Match.com. Not everyone. The 2020 Pew survey found that 12% of Americans have married or been in a committed relationship with someone they met online, while 57% of those who said they'd tried a dating app said their experience was somewhat, if not very, positive. There are strategies users can try to feel less burned out, one of which may be to simply slow down and talk to fewer matches at once. Bumble encourages users to "browse mindfully" and "stay balanced". "People binge, and that is what exhausts them," Dr. Fisher said.

by Catherine Pearson
See full article at New York Times

See the top news on Tinder
See the top news on Bumble
See the top news on Match.com

Match Group Expands Background Checks to Match.com and Stir

CNBC - Users on Match.com, which is popular among serious daters, and Stir, which is for single parents, will now have access to screen potential dates through the apps. Match Group has been working with Garbo, a nonprofit background check platform that shows public records including arrests, convictions and sex offender registry information, since a 2021 investment in the company. Match Group then launched a pilot program with Garbo on Tinder. Each search costs $2.50 plus a 75-cent processing fee per transaction. The company declined to comment on how many people have used the service through Tinder.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
See full article at CNBC

Mark Brooks: The RealMe is also very worthy of your consideration, and bring together a large pool of background check resources from around the world. RealMe have an industry-specific offering for the dating industry and are a client of Courtland Brooks and support OPW. See dating offering.

See the top news on Match Group
See the top news on Match.com
See the top news on Stir

Tired of Swiping Left, Singles Are Turning to New Matchmaking Services for Dates

CNBC - Some singles, sick of swiping, are going back to matchmakers. There's an emerging crop of apps looking to bring matchmaking to a new generation, mixing old methods with modern technology. One newcomer is Lox Club, a members-only dating app founded in 2020 by CEO Austin Kevitch. Lox Club charges $96 for 12 months. The company offers access to matchmakers, who can set users up with one another or give feedback on the person's profile. Another company is Ambyr Club. Ambyr, launched late last year, hosts two to three events a month at trendy locations for a select group of 10 men and 10 women. Ambyr pairs the 20 people based on who they think would be a good fit. All members have gone through an interview and background check. Applicants pay a $60 application fee and $150 for each event, if they're chosen. Ambyr says it has a 15% acceptance rate and ~200 members in its database. In November, Match.com introduced a human matchmaking element to its dating service. For $4.99 per week, Match employees will flag two profiles a week in an effort to narrow down the options.

by Jessica Bursztynsky
See full article at CNBC

See the top news on Lox Club
See the top news on Ambyr Club
See the top news on Match.com

Match Group Q1 Results - Revenue up 20%, New CEO

MATCH GROUP - Total Revenue grew 20% YOY to $799M. Operating income was $208M, an increase of 10% YOY. Payers increased 13% to 16.3M, up from 14.4M in the prior year quarter. Tinder Direct Revenue grew 18% YOY, driven by 17% payers growth to 10.7M. All Other Brands collectively grew revenue by 22% YOY driven by 14% RPP growth and 7% payers growth to 5.6M.

Key points from Match Group's letter to shareholders:

• Match Group CEO Shar Dubey is stepping down. She will remain as a director and advisor to the company, and Bernard Kim will resume his role as CEO.
• Match Group has published its 2nd annual Impact Report to share its progress on social, environmental, and governance initiatives.
• In Japan, Tinder launched a co-marketing campaign with Netflix for the dating reality TV show Love is Blind: Japan.
• Tinder Coins, its in-app virtual currency, is on track to launch globally this summer.
• Hinge is on track to launch in its first non-English speaking market, Germany, in Q2.
• Hinge is on pace to more than 10x revenue from 2019 to 2022.
• Match, Meetic, Pairs, and POF all successfully leverage tech features from Hyperconnect into their products.

See the top news on Match Group

'Single Shaming': Why People Judge Singles

BBC - Asking why someone is 'still' single and assuring them they'll 'find their person soon' may seem like thoughtful, even sensitive, ways to check in on single friends. However, these simple phrases constitute 'single shaming' - and they're likely to be more harmful than helpful. Data from a survey by dating service Match, shows 52% of 1K single UK adults reported experiencing single shaming "since the start of the pandemic", likely due to the increased focus on whom people could rely on during lockdowns. And even though 59% said they were "content with their relationship status", they still were the target of intrusive questions. Match asked about the common "shaming phrases" single people have heard from others, and 35% said they were told "you'll find someone soon". 29% heard "you must be so lonely", while 38% reported general pity over their relationship status. Bumble's research from October 2021, showed that 53% of Bumble users surveyed "realized that it's okay to be alone for a while", thanks to the pandemic.

by Jessica Klein
See full article at BBC

See the top news on Match.com
See the top news on Bumble

Blast From the Past - Match.com Began Screening Users Against Sex Offender Registry, in 2011

OPW - TRUE was the first sizable company to offer background checks back in 2004. Match then offered them but did not publicize the fact, starting in 2011. Background checks are more complete and more up-to-date in digital form now. Also, verification technology has advanced. See news from 2011 here, along with a very interesting industry commentary thread.

Courtland Brooks is working with three best-in-class tools that are worth of your attention.

1. RealMe - Background checks, now available beyond USA. "Protect your users from bots and fraud."
2. FaceTec - 3D face matching and liveness checking and age checks.
3. OneRep - Removes people's private information off Google and scrubs their profile from 100+ sites.